Saturday, July 16, 2011

Pumpkin Center

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South of the garden, about 7 miles, is a little community called Pumpkin Center (pronounced:  Punkin Cenner).  If one pumpkin has ever been grown there in that farming community, I’ll be surprised.   Alfalfa, corn, and cotton are the main crops of this burg.  To my knowledge no pumpkin celebrations or festivals have ever taken place.

I’ve grown pumpkins in the past – some seasons successfully and some seasons were a complete flop.  This summer Jarradale pumpkins are winding their way under the corn and Borlotto Solista beans.  On June 1, seeds were sown with hopes of a bounty of blue grey squash to use to bake the Thanksgiving pie and decorate the table.  So far, so good.  Above is an image chronicling the progress to date.  Quite a few more pumpkins are developing under the shade of those huge leaves.  There has been a mild infestation of aphids that has been kept under control by spraying the underside of the leaves in the morning and letting the ladybugs do their thing during the day.

If things continue as they are, the center of Pumpkin Center may be relocated to OIldale.

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